Abrasive articles, such as nonwoven abrasive articles, are used in various industries to machine work pieces, such as by grinding, buffing, or polishing in order to condition the surface of the workpiece to a desired condition (e.g., coating removal, surface roughness, gloss, transparency, etc.). Machining utilizing nonwoven abrasive articles spans a wide industrial scope from aerospace to optics, and play a particularly important part in metal fabrication industries. Such manufacturing operations can use nonwoven abrasives to remove bulk material or affect surface characteristics of products.
Surface characteristics include shine, texture, and uniformity. For example, manufacturers of various types of components use nonwoven abrasive articles to fine and polish surfaces, to a desired uniformly smooth surface. Additionally, nonwoven abrasive articles are used to prepare workpiece surfaces before and after applying a coating material, such a polymer coating (e.g., a varnish or paint) or a ceramic coating (e.g., a thermal spray coating). In some cases, the workpieces can have complex shapes that conventional abrasives do not have the right balance of physical properties and abrasive performance to provide a satisfactory finish. Therefore, there continues to be a need for improved abrasive products, including improved nonwoven abrasive products.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.